


I Don't Hate You

by venchar



Category: Making Fiends
Genre: Almost Slow Burn, Closeted Character, Coming Out, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, Internalized Homophobia, Light Angst, mentions of child abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-01-29 19:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12637734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/venchar/pseuds/venchar
Summary: Nine years after Charlotte moves to Clamburg, her grandmother passes away, leaving her with no remaining family members left - and along with that tragedy, she's being forced to come to terms with something she's hidden away her whole life. For the first time ever, the usually optimistic girl is faced with a sadness that won't go away - so she turns to the one person who she feels will understand, Vendetta Mortcheva.*Currently on hiatus*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is the first thing i've ever published ever.. theres just so little making fiends fanfiction and given how important this show is to me i feel like i need to contribute something!! if this is bad im sorry, im an artist not a writer

Clamburg was always dreary.

No matter what day it was, the sky was always grey and the world seemed so dull. But today, the atmosphere was even sadder.

In a small community, word spreads fast. If something happened, everyone was going to know about it. Perhaps that's why the whole town knew when Charlene Winfrey died. She was a sweet, elderly woman and a well liked member of the community. So naturally, a large amount of people showed up to her funeral. But one person was mysteriously absent - her granddaughter Charlotte.

The townsfolk, dressed in all black for the occasion, couldn't help but hope Charlotte was okay. The young girl was the definition of an optimist - despite all that was wrong in the world, she could always push it to the side and face the darkness with a smile.

Charlotte and her grandmother entered Clamburg at the age of eight. The duo were the first glimpses of positivity the town had seen in years - they lived in a cottage outside the town with the yard decorated in dandelions and the walls painted soft pastel colors, looking almost as if it was from a children's coloring book.

Charlotte's joy challenged the dreadfulness that Clamburg was made of. More specifically, it challenged the girl who kept the town miserable - Vendetta Mortcheva. Vendetta, although the same age as Charlotte and only 4'11, was a dictator of sorts. She didn't want anyone to get in her way and would plot for the destruction of those who try and stop her.

While Vendetta was born to two rich parents, the whole town knew that they did not treat their child right. In pre-school, Vendetta would come to class with bruises on her arms and bags under her eyes. She'd sit alone at recess, doodling monsters on pieces of construction paper. The drawings got more and more detailed as time went on and more signs of child abuse showed up. One teacher remembers clearly a drawing by Vendetta that depicted a giant, black monster killing her parents. Red marker was scribbled over their bodies.

So, of course, when Vendetta's parents disappeared, people couldn't help but think of the horrific possibility that Vendetta killed her parents - and the sudden appearance of monsters in the town did not help her. With the lack of proper government and law enforcement in Clamburg, no one could stop her - and they knew that if they tried to contact government outside of the dreary town, they'd soon meet a gruesome end.

The truth was the Vendetta's parents had been shrunk and locked in a hamster cage -she transformed her hamster to being the size of her parents and her parents to being the size of a hamster - but everyone was convinced they were dead. It was years later that Vendetta eventually did let her parents starve to death.

Vendetta was no longer the disturbed yet quiet girl. She was loud, apathetic, and would not let anyone get in her way. She controlled an army of monsters that she referred to as her fiends. These fiends stalked the streets and would not hesitate when it came to ending someone's life.

But then Charlotte appears. Bright clothes, soft skin, and blue eyes. She was Vendetta's opposite in every way. What terrified Vendetta about Charlotte was that the new girl was not afraid of her and in fact, Charlotte wanted to befriend her.

This lack of fear was alien to Vendetta; no one had ever liked her in the way Charlotte did. Ever since the two were children, the blue girl was oblivious to Vendetta's actions. She didn't see anything different about how she acted - to Charlotte, Vendetta was just another young girl.

That angered Vendetta, who swore to do whatever she could to end her enemy's life - but these plans had always backfired. There was something about Charlotte that couldn't bring Vendetta to destroy her. Maybe it was her obliviousness or that Charlotte was the only person who had ever shown her love - but, Vendetta had never been shown this kind of love before. All she had been shown was hatred, so all she could show was hatred in return. She didn't know how to love someone.

Vendetta would rather die than admit she had grown fond of Charlotte.

It wasn't that she liked her. Or, Vendetta would force herself to believe that that was not the case. Charlotte provided something for Vendetta to do, as without Charlotte, she found herself bored and lonely. Over the past nine years, Charlotte had gone from an annoyance to an entertainer to Vendetta. Sometimes she would think of the perky blue girl as a friend even, but Vendetta would do anything to ignore those thoughts. Vendetta didn't make friends - she was too powerful and cold for something so soft.

When Vendetta heard the news of Charlene's death, she had mixed reactions. There was the Vendetta that hated Charlotte who was overjoyed. The Vendetta that saw Charlotte as entertainment was upset as this would mean she wouldn't be seeing too much of her for the next week or so. The Vendetta who liked Charlotte was sorry for her friend. (Of course, Vendetta shut the third reaction out immediately.)

She had no plans to attend Charlene's funeral. One thing Vendetta had always been told by herself and her parents was that showing emotions was weak and that no successful person has feelings. She never questioned this logic.

The day of the funeral, Vendetta did whatever she could to distract herself from thinking about Charlotte. She slept in, made a new fiend, watched movies, read magazines, anything to keep the stupid girl out of her mind.

Vendetta was awoken from her nap on the couch by a knocking on the door. She flung the magazine off her face and groaned, walking to the door and opening it. Grudge, who was sitting in his chair watching television, grunted at her - only to be ignored. She was too tired to think about him whoever it could be at the door and whether or not she should open the door if she didn't know who it was.

She opened the front door to see Charlotte on her doorstep. Her face was red and stained with tears, catching Vendetta off guard. She'd never seen Charlotte cry, but Vendetta knew she should've expected this reaction - after all, Charlotte just lost her last family member - but it didn't change how strange it was to see the optimistic girl with such a melancholic expression.

After about 15 seconds of silence, Vendetta looked her in the eyes and asked "Why are you here?"

Charlotte looked down and shuffled her feet. "I..." She sniffed. "I didn't know where else to go."


	2. Chapter 2

Vendetta would, under any other circumstances, tell Charlotte to get lost - but something inside her made her want to let her into her home. Maybe it was that she felt bad for Charlotte, or maybe the blue girl's solemn expression made her more acceptable to Vendetta.

"Why aren't you at the funeral?" Vendetta asked, her face showing no emotion.

"It made me too sad." Charlotte sighed, rubbing her arm. "Everyone was trying to be nice to me. But... I just couldn't take it. I left early."

Vendetta couldn't say anything. She opened the door for Charlotte and let her step inside, her expression staying neutral. If this was happening five years ago, Vendetta would have laughed at Charlotte and said something along the lines of 'I wish you were dead with her!', sending off fiend to kill Charlotte while she was this vulnerable.

Vendetta wish she knew why she'd changed - why she had become so... well, she wasn't necessarily soft, per say - she still couldn't offer kind words if her life depended on it - but she wasn't so rough around the edges when it came to Charlotte. The hatred she once possessed for her was gone, and replaced by... something. Vendetta didn't know what that was, either.

After Charlotte had walked in, Vendetta noticed the scissor fiend she had made for her almost seven years ago hopping behind the blue girl, following her inside. He looked at Vendetta and snipped his beak happily at the sight of the girl who made him. Grudge, looking up from the TV, raised an eyebrow in confusion at the sight of Charlotte being welcomed into their home. The hamster fiend had never seen his creator show any hospitality to who was supposed to be her worst enemy.

"I need to lie down." Charlotte looked over her shoulder to Vendetta. Vendetta groaned and pointed up the stairs. "Up the stairs, to your right, there's a guest bedroom. You can stay in there. Don't you dare go into my room or I'll break your ribs. If you need the bathroom... Grudge will show you." She motioned to him, as he shot her a look of 'do I have to?'

Charlotte gave a small smile. "Thank you." She hurried up the stairs, scissor fiend following behind her. He was too small to make it up the stairs, so Charlotte scooped him up in his arms and went up to the spare bedroom. Hearing the bedroom door close, Vendetta let out a sigh and plopped back down on the couch.

Grudge looked rather confused, giving a grunt that translated loosely to 'Why did you let her in?'

"I... I don't know! God, what the hell is wrong with me?! Why did I just let her into my home?!" She pulled her pigtails - something she did when she was angry or excited - and groaned loudly. "I'll kick her out tomorrow. I promise. I'm not some soft bitch. I don't care that her family is dead. I hate her." Vendetta mumbled to herself.

Grudge grunted something meaning 'You sound like you're trying to convince yourself. Vendetta, I know you're trying to stay all dark and mysterious, but it's okay to like someone.'

"What the HELL did you just say to me?!" Vendetta screeched. "I don't like her! If you say that one more time, I'll have you fed to Fiendcat, you stupid hamster fuck!" Vendetta got like that when she was frustrated. She turned from passive aggressive to full on aggressive, swearing and swinging her fists. Grudge was used to her angry fits and knew that if he just let her scream and punch a hole in the wall, she'd eventually get tired and take a nap. "Just... shut up."

She buried her face into a pillow and grumbled something in Bulgarian. Grudge had never bothered to learn it - which Vendetta used to her advantage, talking to herself in her native tongue and would only write in her family's language. It was rather was unnecessary, because her hamster fiend couldn't even read English, but it made Vendetta feel a little more safe.

After a few minutes of Vendetta's incoherent rambles, Grudge turned the TV back on, which was playing some cartoon about a talking pink rabbit. Vendetta groaned loudly when she heard it come on. "Turn your stupid bunny show off!" She tossed the pillow that was formerly covering her face across the room and crossed her arms. "I want peace and quiet!" She spat.

Grudge rolled his eyes and grunted something translating to "If you're going to act like a baby, go up to your room. You were the one who let her in."

"I can't go up there! She's up there!"

"You're impossible, Ven."

 

* * *

 

 

Charlotte opened the door to the guest bedroom slowly. The room was well-kept, with a queen-size bed in the center of the room with white sheets and dark grey pillows. There was a vanity to the right of the bed and a large window to the left with black curtains.

Charlotte was glad Vendetta gave her a nice room. Buttons 2 ran into the room and hopped on the bed, snipping his beak and looking around. She sighed and sat on the bed next to him, pulling phone her out of her purse which was full of new text notifications.

_Marvin: where are u_

_Marivn: please respond im worried_

_Marvin: my god charlotte please respond_

_Marion: charlotte are you OK? We cant find you_

_Maggie: where'd u go :\_

_Malachai: Charlotte, it seems that you have left early, but we are unsure of where you have gone off too. Marvin, Maggie, Marion, and myself are looking for you. I hope you are alright and the funeral was not too much for you._

Charlotte couldn't help but smile at how different Malachai's texting style was from the rest of her friends, but her amusement was short lived, as before she could even think of a response, her phone vibrated again with another text from Marvin.

_Marvin: babe.._

Charlotte rolled her eyes and shut her phone off, falling back onto the bed. Yes, Marvin was supposed to be Charlotte's boyfriend - but Charlotte couldn't muster up feelings for him beyond a close friend. She felt pressured to date a boy after people began to assume that Charlotte was gay - which she was, but she could never tell anyone that.

Except Vendetta.

Charlotte always thought Vendetta had a certain charm to her that no one else could see. Yes, she could be mean and cynical, but that never stopped Charlotte from treating her with kindness and love. She had a strange sort of trust for Vendetta that she didn't have for anyone else.

Plus, Vendetta was gay too.

At least Charlotte was pretty sure she was. One night, at a party that Vendetta had shown up at, she drank a bit too much (on the rare occasion that she went to a party, she would just go to get drunk and yell at people) and started rambling to Charlotte about... lesbian things. Charlotte, being the polite friend she was, listened to her drunk thoughts and took Vendetta home that night. When they arrived at the drunk girl's home, Charlotte told her that she was gay too, which Vendetta replied to with "I guess we're both stupid lesbians..." before passing out on her couch.

Charlotte smiled at the memories the two had made together. Some were not as pleasant, but there were those bittersweet times where the two would enjoy each other's company. Of course, Vendetta was always passive aggressive, but she was still sweet. Somewhat.

Charlotte's phone began to ring. Looking down at it, it was Marvin calling her. She reluctantly answered.

"Hi, Marvin."

"Charlotte, where are you?"

"Vendetta's." Charlotte could hear Maggie and Marion's muffled voices in the background.

"My god Charlotte, why are you with her again? Come back to my house. We'll talk this out. Just leave her."

She didn't know how to respond. She didn't want to be mean, but she would rather be with Vendetta. "I'm sorry. I'm staying here. I'll see you soon." Before she could hang up, she heard someone else grab the phone from her boyfriend's hand.

"Charlotte, for fuck's sake! We've tried calling you twenty times! Leave that bitch's house!" It was Maggie. She didn't even need to recognize the voice to know it was her; Maggie was the kind of girl to swear every other sentence. Charlotte sighed.

"I'm sorry." She hung up and placed it back into her purse, turning it off. She placed her purse next to the bed and pulled the covers over her.

In the silence, Charlotte began to sob. Crying wasn't something that was common for her. Heck, being sad in general. But everything was just too much. She had lost all her family - first her dad, then her mom, then her grandma. Everyone was gone. She'd never have one of her grandma's pies again. She'd never be able to hug her again. Her grandma would never see her graduate high school or go on to college. She had already been through these feelings when her parents died, and now she was forced to go through them again.

Charlotte knew she was supposed to be cheery. She was the girl that always gave her friends hugs and was always their shoulder to cry on - but how could she smile through this? It didn't help that all her friends and fake boyfriend were pissed at her.

At least she had Vendetta. She had someone who understood - someone who had also lost her parents (even if Vendetta  _wanted_ them to die), and someone else who knew what it was like to be a girl who loved other girls. Although she never showed affection - or, at least, didn't know how to - Charlotte knew deep down that Vendetta cared about her. Charlotte cared about her too, but a little more than someone cares about a friend. 

Her dreams of holding Vendetta's hand and getting clam-flavored ice cream with her confused, terrified, and comforted her. She didn't truly know what was happening or what this feeling was, but what she did know was that as long as she had Vendetta, everything would be OK.

Still dressed in her funeral clothes, Charlotte wiped her tears and laid her head on the pillow. It smelled like Vendetta. She genuinely smiled for the first time since her grandmother died.


	3. Chapter 3

Charlotte woke up to the smell of pancakes and an unfamiliar room. 

It took her a second to remember that she was at Vendetta's house. The dark room was so different to her light blue sheets and white curtains at home. She yawned, pulling the bed sheets to the side which accidentally woke up Buttons II, who was curled up between her legs like a cat. He snipped angrily, and Charlotte gave him a quick apology and picked him up in her arms, kissing his beak. 

Walking over to the vanity, she realized that she had fallen asleep on her funeral clothes and makeup, which was a grim reminder of the events that occurred yesterday. This was also a reminder that she had nothing to change into, and she doubted any of Vendetta's clothes would fit - but Vendetta wouldn't let her wear her clothes, anyway. She took her purse and opened the door quietly.

Looking down from the second floor, Vendetta's house - although dark - was lovely. It was so much larger and well taken care of than Charlotte and her grandma's house had been ever since Charlene had fallen ill. From there, she could also hear the TV on downstairs and two people talking. Well, one person talking, and a hamster grunting. With Buttons II following behind her, she made her way down into the living room.

Vendetta was sitting on the couch, talking to Grudge who was in the kitchen. Vendetta's hair was messy and let down, and her usual apparel was swapped out for sweatpants and a big sweatshirt. She looked... cute.

Vendetta looked over at Charlotte and rolled her eyes and sighed. "Utro." She grumbled, looking back at the TV. Trying to remember the small amounts of Bulgarian she knew, she presumed that Vendetta said good morning, or at least something along those lines.

"Good morning, Ven." Charlotte smiled. No matter how awful the previous night was, something about Vendetta made her feel at ease - even when she was rude. Grudge poked his head into the living room, wearing a pink apron and a frying pan in his hand.

"Grudge made us pancakes." Vendetta turned her head to Charlotte. "He's a good cook, even if he's a hamster." She motioned to one of the two chairs around the coffee table, giving Charlotte the permission to sit. She looked back to the TV, pulling her knees up to her chest. Charlotte sat down on the comfy chair which was decorated with fancy pillows. Everytime she came here, she realized more and more just how rich Vendetta's family was. Given that the teenage girl was the last of the Mortcheva heritage, she had inherited all the money. Buttons II hopped up on the chair with his owner. 

"How do you like your coffee?" Vendetta asked out of nowhere.

"I actually prefer tea. Green tea is my favorite." After hearing Charlotte's response, Vendetta snapped her fingers. A few mouse-like fiends scurried out from the kitchen, delivering the coffee and tea for the two. Charlotte couldn't help but squeal as she saw how adorable they were, thanking them multiple times. They bowed their heads and went back into the kitchen.

Taking a sip of the tea, it was perfect - which was surprising as it seemed to have been made by mice. "I didn't expect your fiends to be able to make tea," She said softly, looking back up at her friend. 

Vendetta didn't take her eyes of the TV and seemed to not even acknowledge Charlotte. Well, at least she was being kind for a good five minutes.

"Your boyfriend visited last night."

Charlotte almost choked on her tea. "W-what?"

Vendetta slumped her head over. "Him and the emo girl. I think stupid Marion was with him too. And the kid who talks weird." She took a sip of her coffee. "I told them to get away from my house and sent wolf fiends after them."

Ah, classic Vendetta.

"Why were they here?" Charlotte's voice turned dull again.

The green girl's eyes turned narrow. "They were looking for you. They accused me of kidnapping you."

Charlotte looked down at her reflection in the tea. "Maybe I should go see them." She looked back up at Vendetta, looking for a reaction.

"Do what you want. I need alone time anyway." She looked at the other girl, sizing her up. "You don't have any clothes to go out in, do you?" It sounded more like a statement rather than a question. 

"N-no, I don't."

Vendetta sighed and, to Charlotte's surprise, she took off her sweatshirt - revealing the lace tank top she was wearing underneath. She threw the green sweatshirt at the other girl, but Charlotte was barely able to catch it or hide the blush on her cheeks. Vendetta was so beautiful - long hair, dark eyes, and a model's body. Charlotte couldn't blame herself for looking at her friend with hearts in her eyes.

"Wear that. Bring it back or I'll shoot you. There's a brush in the bathroom. You can use that." Vendetta stopped for a second. "No. I'll get it for you." She stood up from the couch and walked over to the bathroom that was next to the kitchen. There was something about Vendetta in this moment that was so gorgeous - perhaps it was seeing Vendetta so vulnerable and calm, or maybe just the way her loose hair dripped over her face, and how her tank hugged her waist and showed the outline of her petite body... Charlotte was so lost in her romantic fantasies that she didn't even realize that Vendetta had already gotten the hair brush for her.

"Thank you, Ven," Charlotte smiled, putting the sweatshirt on over her dress and then proceeding to put the brush in her purse.

Vendetta rolled her eyes. "Now go and find them. I can't deal with your stupid friends again. Also, don’t think I’m letting you borrow my sweatshirt or hairbrush because I  _ like  _ you. I am only showing you hospitality because I pity you and your situation." She hissed.

Just as she said that, Grudge stepped out with a plate of pancakes, decorated with sugar and whipped cream. He looked disappointed that Charlotte was already leaving, but sat them on the coffee table anyway. "More pancakes for me, I suppose." She crossed her arms and sighed, noticing that Buttons II had already fallen asleep on the chair. "He can stay for now. Just come back later. I have enough stupid bullshit to deal with."

Vendetta fell back onto the couch, picking up a pancake with her hands and taking a bite. She had an odd habit of not using utensils when she ate. 

"Okay. Thank you, Vendetta." She smiled at her, walking out the door and into the dreary world once again.

Vendetta didn't respond, but Charlotte didn’t mind. She got to spend time with her best friend, and  _ that  _ was what was important to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if this one is a lil short!! also i love charlotte being a total gay dork for vendetta


	4. Chapter 4

Walking down the grey streets of Clamburg, Charlotte felt lonely.

That wasn't a feeling she was used to. She was used to being the popular girl at school - she was the honor student cheerleader with blonde hair, a smile that could light up a room, the best friends anyone could ask for, and had a wonderful future ahead of her. 

She shouldn't be this sad. She knew that her grandmother was going to pass away soon; she'd been ill for two years. As her illness progressed, Charlotte was basically living on her own and grew distant from her grandmother. In reality, not much would change - but still, a cloud of loneliness hung over her head. Perhaps it was because she was the only one in the Winfrey family left.

She eventually approached Marvin's house. Flowers decorated the walkway up to the door and a cute cat statue sat next to it. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently, taking a deep breath.

The door swung open, and to her surprise, Marion was the one to open the door. "Oh-oh! Charlotte! It's you!" She swung her arms around Charlotte, who hugged back, but before she could say anything, Marion turned around and called out into the house, "Guys! Charlotte's here!"

Before either of them knew it, Marvin, Maggie, and Malachai had all sprinted to the door and gave Charlotte the biggest hugs of her life. "Charlotte, baby," Marvin said, kissing her forehead. She tried her hardest not to flinch.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything yesterday," Charlotte apologized to the group with her head down. 

"It is alright, my dear Charlotte. We are just overjoyed that you are safe." Malachai smiled, while Maggie rolled her eyes.

"I'm just pissed that you went to the pigtailed bitch's house instead of talking to us." She said in her usual monotone voice.

"Hey, it's okay. Let's just go inside for now." Marvin insisted, beginning to walk inside again. "We made cookies for you, Char. I know how you love sugar cookies, so-"

"She's not a bitch, Maggie. You don't know her like I do."

"Oh, stop it with that shit! You KNOW she's bad news, but you still hang out with her rather than us. You know, your real friends."

"She's my real friend too!"

"Guys, stop fighting. Let's go inside." Marion interrupted, standing in between the two, pushing them inside. Marvin and Malachai seemed to agree to this idea and walked inside with them.

"I know we're all tense," Marvin started, "So how about we relax and play Mario Kart and eat cookies or something?"

As much as she didn't want to be here, the idea sounded nice - even if she would preferably do those things with a certain goth girl. "Yeah. That sounds really nice. But are your parents home?"

"My parents? No, they're out of town. I told you that a week ago, remember? When I asked you to come over?" He said the last part a little more quietly.

"Oooo, you wanted to be alone with Charlotte," Marion giggled, Maggie smirked, and Malachai shook his head while Marvin's face grew red. Charlotte, on the other hand, felt sick to her stomach just thinking about how they still didn't know who she really was. Every moment that her friends assumed her to be straight was a moment that Charlotte would have to continue to suffer and she would dive farther and farther into self hatred simply over the fact that she wanted to hold hands with a girl. She knew she'd have to tell them that she was gay eventually, and while she had a feeling they would all be supportive, she was still worried. 

"Charlotte, dearest, would you like a cookie?" Malachai asked her, who was also uncomfortable with the situation. 

"Of course I do," The two walked into the kitchen, leaving the other three in the living room. Malachai was always so sweet to Charlotte, in his weird, overly formal way. He took a cookie from the plate and handed it to her and got one for himself.

"I must ask you, Charlotte," Malachai looked behind him to make sure they were alone before continuing, "Does that sweatshirt belong to Vendetta?" He said in a hushed voice.

Charlotte didn't know what to say for a moment - but out of all of her friend group, she trusted Malachai the most. "Yes, it is, but please don't tell any of them. They'd... they wouldn't like it." 

Malachai nodded. "Indeed. You can put your faith in me, Charlotte. Even if she does frighten me, I am glad you can find something redeemable in her."

"Thank you." Charlotte smiled and gave him a quick hug before taking a bite of her cookie, but quickly spit it out. "Strawberry?! I hate strawberries!" Charlotte groaned.

Malachai shook his head. "I told Marvin you didn't favor them, but he insisted. I have a clear memory of your 13th birthday celebration when Maggie brought you a strawberry pastry and you vomited," He laughed a bit and Charlotte did too.

"Oh yeah, and later Vendetta tried to give me poison cookies! And my grandma wouldn't let you or Marvin stay the night because of her 'no boys' rule, but Marvin snuck in anyway and grandma got so mad-" Charlotte suddenly grew solemn, hit with the reminder of her grandmother's death. Taking a deep breath, she began to tear up. "We had some... really fun times." She smiled even with the tears dripping down her face. "Why did everything have to go to shit?"

"No, no, Charlotte. Please do not cry." He grabbed a tissue from the counter near them and wiped her tears. "It will be okay, dear."

"Hey guys, you wanna play Mario Kart or what?!" Marvin shouted from the other room. "Also, bring us cookies!"

"Come." Malachai gestured to Charlotte. "Try to get your mind away from this sadness." He took a couple cookies for the others and walked into the other room with them. Taking a deep breath, she walked in with them and sat down next to Marvin who had saved a seat for her. He smiled and put his arm around her shoulders.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to throw up. She wanted Vendetta.

Her grandmother's emotions set all of her emotions out of whack. It was her wake up call that she needed to spend her life being true to herself  - and for a long time, she was. But right now she wasn't and she knew she wouldn't be until she stopped living a lie.

She had to tell them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok ok im so happy this fanfic has gotten so much support!! like i was expecting no one to read it but <333   
> but anyway!! next chapter is going to be char coming out... and i promise that we'll get to the gay parts soon ;-)


	5. Chapter 5

Charlotte had decided to stay the night at Marvin's house, albeit regrettably. She didn't want to be anywhere in the present.

She wanted to go back. She wanted to be the cheery little girl she once was, going to room 4 at Mu Elementary and spending time with her grandma and her best friend Vendetta. She wanted Buttons II to greet her happily when she returned to her happy little house, with blue walls and a flower garden outside her window. She wanted to go home, but knew that she no longer had one.

Now the flowers were wilting and the paint on the exterior was chipped. The smell of death still lingered in the hallways. It was only after her grandmother died that this illusion of perfection and happiness was wrecked and she was forced to face the reality that her life wasn't sunshine, cheese, and rainbows anymore.

Charlotte was no longer the girl she was.

All of her friends decided to sleep in the living room, blankets and pillows sprawled out across the floor. They had marathoned movies on Netflix - looking for all the ones classified 'so bad it's good' - and eaten more junk food than they ever had. Seeing how much they did to make her feel better, Charlotte was overjoyed to see how deeply her friends cared about her.

But nothing could ease the pain she felt when Marvin put his arm around her or held her hand. She tried desperately to reciprocate his feelings, but it was a lost cause - all the love she had for him was merely platonic.

She was gay and hated herself for it. She hated every second she sat thinking of girls rather than boys. She hated that everytime she imagined her future, she saw herself with a wife. She hated that she wanted to know what it's like to kiss a girl. She hated that she wanted to be Vendetta's girlfriend.

More than anything, she hated how everyone around her thought she was straight, and she couldn't stand it anymore.

At this point, it was late at night, and everyone was laying on the ground together, talking about school, sports, and whatever occupied their minds at this hour. Charlotte just laid with them, listening to them speak but not joining in, as she had much more important things to think of rather than Clamburg High's upcoming soccer game.

"I need to tell you all something." Charlotte felt as if she was going to vomit with anxiety.

"What is it, Char?" Marvin asked, putting his hand on her shoulder, and for the first time, she didn't refrain from pushing him away. He looked at her with dismay. "My hand... why'd you push it away?"

"Charlotte, what's gotten into you?" Maggie interjected, quickly coming to Marvin's defense.

"Let her speak her mind, Maggie." Malachi told her, folding his arms. Marion silently agreed with him.

No turning back now, she thought to herself.

"I'm gay."

The room turned silent, everyone looking at Charlotte in shock. Marvin was the first to say something. " _What_?" To Charlotte's relief, there was no anger in his voice, but before he could speak again, Maggie stood up.

"Charlotte - look, I'm fine with you being gay or whatever... but you tell us this after dating Marvin for almost a _year_?!" She said, her face a mix of rage and sadness.

Marion shot Maggie a look before giving Charlotte a small hug. "Thank you for telling us, Char." Malachi nodded.

"Yes, it is very brave of you to tell us. I am pleased to know you trust us enough." He followed Marion's actions, hugging her a bit more tightly. "Your orientation does not bother me. I will support you through and through."

Feeling like she was about to tear up, she hugged him back. "T-thank you."

Marvin had his head in his hands, letting out a deep sigh. Maggie rubbed his back to comfort him. "My girlfriend's a lesbian." He said, as if he needed to reinforce to himself that this was reality. "You never loved me?" He looked at Charlotte.

"Marvin, I do love you! Just... not romantically."

He turned his attention the rest of the group. "May I speak to Charlotte alone in my room?" He asked them, to which they all agreed. Marvin and Charlotte walked back to his room and sat on the bed.

"How long?" He asked.

"What?"

"How long have you known you're gay?"

Charlotte sighed. "I... I've always known. I just tried to ignore it." Her tears turned into sobs. "I hate myself, Marvin! I don't want to be gay!" She collapsed into a hug, burying her face into his shoulder.

"I... I accept you, Charlotte." He patted her back.

She sniffed. "You _do_?"

"Of course." He smiled for a second, but quickly reverted back into a frown as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I just need a while. It's a lot to take in." He took a quick look at her before looking down at his feet. "Now it makes sense that you're wearing Vendetta's sweater."

Charlotte was taken aback, not knowing what to say. "It's... not hers." She lied.

"Don't lie to me, Charlotte!" His mood suddenly turned aggressive but quickly faded when he saw fear in Charlotte's eyes. "I always knew there was something between you two. My eight year old self knew that. I don't know why I couldn't see it again until now."

"It's not like that," Charlotte insisted. "She's just my friend, and -"

"I can't believe you'd leave her for me. You left me for that _monster_."

It felt as if the whole world had fell silent. After seeing the disgust in his former girlfriend's expression, Marvin immediately regretted calling Vendetta a monster.

"I'm gonna go." Charlotte sat up, walking out of the room and into the hallway with Marvin trailing behind her.

"I'm sorry, Char! I didn't mean it!"

Charlotte quickly turned back around and looked Marvin in the eyes, her cheeks wet with tears. "It's okay, Marvin. I just... need some time. Alone." She give him a quick hug before walking out the door, feeling everyone's stares on her before she shut the front door and walked into the night.

Marvin was heartbroken and confused.

"Is... is everything okay?" Marion came up behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder.   

"It's not like her to want to be alone. My god, none of this is like her." Marvin was shaking too badly to even stand, collapsing onto the armchair nearest to him.

"Maybe, she's, uh, just going through a lot." Marion tried to reassure him, but he showed no reaction.

Malachai and Maggie walked over to their heartbroken friend, beginning to comfort him as well.

The room was completely silent apart from Marvin's quiet sobs.

  
  


The night air was near freezing, but at this point, it was the last thing Charlotte cared about.

Millions of thoughts raced through her head. Did they all hate her? Did she ruin her friend group? Do they all think she's in love with Vendetta?

Charlotte found herself walking up a familiar sidewalk, one decorated with chalk drawings that were now smudged and dead tulips lining the path. It wasn't a surprise that they were dead, given that no one had watered them in weeks.

A mailbox sat outside the driveway, painted blue with the last name Winfrey written on it in pretty cursive letters. Once looking like something from a fairy tale home, it was now full of mail that was neglected to be picked up.

Charlotte walked up to the door, opening it up with her key. Stepping inside, every light was off. She didn't even want to turn them on, knowing that she would be reminded of the days that her old self lived out in this very home.

It wasn't just her grandma who had died - Charlotte died, too. She wasn't here anymore. All that was left was an empty shell of a girl.

She walked up to her room, falling onto the bed. She wanted to cry, but couldn't even muster up the energy to do so. As she closed her eyes, she remembered that she had to return Vendetta's sweater and get Buttons II back.

Not wanting to leave her bed, she got her phone and rang Vendetta.

_"What do you want, stupid girl?"_

"Hey, Vendetta. I need Buttons II back, and I've gotta return your sweater to you-"

_"Yes. Where are you? I will send Grudge over with him."_

"My house."

_"Okay. You better not have ripped my sweater, Charlotte. If you did, I will rip your neck open."_

Charlotte's face somehow cracked a small but genuine smile. "I didn't, Ven. Don't worry."

_"And don't call me Ven."_

"Alright, Vendetta."

Vendetta hung up, leaving Charlotte alone with her thoughts once more. She clutched her phone to her chest, wishing that she could talk to Vendetta forever.

She began to doze off, but was awaken by a loud knock at the door. Getting up from her bed, she stepped down the stairs and opened the door for who she presumed to be Grudge, but was happily surprised to see Vendetta standing outside the door with Buttons II sitting on her shoulder.

"Oh, Vendetta," Charlotte began, "I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you said you were sending Grudge."

"Do not question me." Vendetta stepped in, the fiend on her shoulder jumping happily down towards Charlotte's feet. "Were you not at your stupid boyfriend's house?"

Charlotte felt her heart sink. "I, uh, broke up with him."

"Ah. I hope he is devastated and heartbroken!" She cracked a devious grin. "I have always hated him."

"I told him I was gay."

Vendetta was taken aback, her grin quickly fading. She looked like she wanted to say something, but stayed silent.

"Oh, uh -" Charlotte took the sweater off. "Here's your-"

Vendetta grabbed it, cutting her off. "Well, I must be going." She put her sweater on, beginning to walk out the door, but was stopped in her tracks when Charlotte grabbed onto her arm.

"Please, Vendetta. Let me stay with you." The blue girl's eyes began to water as she held onto her friend.

"Why would I let you?" Vendetta pulled her arm away.

"I have nowhere to go! I can't stay here! It makes me too sad! And all my other friends hate me now! Please, Vendetta, I'll do anything! I'll do work for you, I can be a maid, anything - I just _need_ somewhere to go!"

Vendetta folded her arms, thinking for a moment before sighing. "Tonight. Pack up everything you need. I will set up a list of everything you need to do for me and rules for you to follow. You will arrive at my house at exactly 8 a.m. tomorrow." She looked Charlotte in the eyes. "Got it?"

Charlotte had never been so thankful, giving Vendetta the tightest hug she'd ever given but the Bulgarian girl was quick to push her away and rubbed her temple. _'Oh, you stupid blue girl. You're making me soft,'_ She thought to herself, _'Of all people... of course it's you that I don't despise. What is it about you and your annoyingness that is changing me?'_ Vendetta would never admit her thoughts to anyone, but she was growing somewhat fond of Charlotte - even if she hated the fact that she was.

"Now go. Pack up your things. You may bring one suitcase worth of things. You will be sleeping in the guest room." Vendetta instructed her.

"Thank you so much, Vendetta. I love you." Realizing what she had said, Charlotte's face turned bright red. "I-I mean, as a friend!" _Oh god, I'm making it worse_ , she thought.

Vendetta rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said before walking out the door.

Charlotte sighed in relief that Vendetta hadn't taken it worse. Her anxieties quickly dispersed as she realized that she would begin to live with Vendetta tomorrow - even if she was going to be, in a sense, a servant to her.

Just thinking about the beautiful goth girl made her forget about the events from earlier that day. None of that mattered anymore.

She was going to start her life over tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Vendetta laid alone in her king-size bed, flipping through the channels. There was nothing good on at six in the morning, but she was desperately trying to find something to get her mind off of that stupid blue girl and the fact that they would be roomates starting in two hours.

She was in shock at herself that she let Charlotte stay with her. She kept repeating to herself that it would only be a temporary thing, and that she might even find some use out of Charlotte, but she still felt disgustingly soft. She didn't like Charlotte, but she didn't hate her - at least not anymore.

She wondered to herself what made her have such a connection with Charlotte. Perhaps when you devote your life to one person, albeit in a negative way like she had, you become attached to them. They become a constant in your life, and you have a feeling that taking them out of the equation would be like removing the base of a tower - everything would crumble down without them. She was so used to Charlotte's annoying face that if the preppy girl were to wind up dead, Vendetta may actually feel upset. Considering their past, this was rather ironic.

Or, maybe, it was the fact that they were both gay - the only trait the two had in common. 

Empathy wasn't a feeling Vendetta was familiar with. She was used to being detached from others and their emotions and not being able to care about another's well being even if she tried. However, whether Vendetta would admit it or not, knowing Charlotte liked girls too made Vendetta empathize with her. 

She couldn't get the way Charlotte said 'I told them I was gay' the previous night out of her head. The look in her eyes, the emotions displayed on her face - it made Vendetta feel, well, something. Usually, she'd laugh at other people's suffering - but she couldn't find humor or amusement in Charlotte's depression. She just found herself growing sad with her.

"Get it together, Ven." She said to herself. "Stop being so lovey dovey over that stupid girl, or you're just as stupid as her!" She flipped over in her bed, hugging her pillow and groaning into it. What was caring about someone even like? What did it make a person feel? Probably gross, soft, mushy feelings.  _ Blegh. _

She rolled out of bed, tossing her pillow on the ground angrily and walking over to her closet to actually put something on, as she often slept in nothing but pajama shorts. She grabbed the sweater that Charlotte had returned to her and began to put it on, but was stopped when she realized how much it smelt like the stupid girl.

Vendetta recoiled in disgust at the discovery of the smell, throwing it onto the ground. It wasn't because it smelt bad - admittedly, Charlotte did smell nice - she just couldn't stand a reminder of how she had treated her the past few days. Letting someone borrow your clothes... that was something disgusting that friends did with each other. No, wait, not friends - that was something  _ lovers _ did.

She wanted to vomit at the thought. 

Putting on a tank top, she grabbed the sweater and walked out her door to the stairs, throwing it down. "Hamster! Wash this!" Grudge, who was laying on the couch, followed her orders and added the sweater to a pile of laundry.

She walked into the bathroom connect to her room, washing her face with a wet towel and putting her hair up and out of her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, noticing how tired and worn out she looked already. 

This would be a long day.

 

* * *

  
  


The doorbell rang at exactly 8:00am. Much to Vendetta's surprise, Charlotte had actually listened to her instructions.

Vendetta took a deep breath before put her hand on the knob to open the door but hesitated. She was, even now, doubting herself and her decision. However, when Charlotte rang the doorbell once more, she was too annoyed with the sound to keep her out. She opened the door to find Charlotte in a baby blue dress and her white backpack on with Buttons II perched on her shoulder.

"Hi, Vendetta!" She looked happier than she had been. The usual sparkle in her eyes had somewhat returned and her annoying smile was plastered on her face one more. Maybe it was just because she hadn't seen it in a while, but Vendetta found her smile to be cute rather than annoying. 

"Hello." Vendetta narrowed her eyes, trying to get the stupid thoughts out of her head. She allowed Charlotte inside, who instantly pulled her into a tight hug. 

"Thank you sooo much for letting me stay here, Ven! It really means the world to me." 

Vendetta didn't bother yelling at her for the use of that nickname, as she was mostly focused on getting out of the hug and she couldn't get her mind off of how unnatural Charlotte's supposed happiness appeared - it seemed she was trying to force herself to put on an act.

No matter how they felt about each other or their past, it would be difficult to deny that anyone knew Vendetta or Charlotte as well as they knew each other. They knew the tiniest details about each other, like how Charlotte knew that Vendetta didn't like using silverware when she ate and that she was always cold, or how Vendetta knew that Charlotte's least favorite fruit was strawberries, her favorite was grapes, and that she liked things with a blueberry flavor but not actual blueberries.

Vendetta was also able to tell when Charlotte was faking something, and she didn't lie or hide the truth often - Charlotte was generally an open and honest person. However, it was clear that the usually preppy girl was hiding something.  _ 'What does it matter to me if you're happy or not? Why are you making me care about you? What are you doing to me, stupid girl?'  _ She thought, cursing herself.

"I think you know where you are sleeping. Furthermore, I have a list of rules that you must follow or I will not hesitate to kick you out." Vendetta began, folding her arms and lifting her head up.

"One. You will not go into my room, the kitchen, the basement, or attic. If you are hungry, you ask Grudge. Two. No singing when I am here. Three. Do not invite any of your stupid friends over, or I kill them. Four. You must always listen to me." She unfolded her arms and placed her hands on her hips. "Got it? The only time I will ever excuse you from breaking a rule is if I ever tell you otherwise."

"Oh, Vendetta, of course I'll always listen to you." Charlotte said, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.  _ Stupid lesbian. _

"Good. Now go upstairs - I have things to do and fiends to make. Do not get in my way."  She hissed before storming off into the kitchen.

Charlotte listened to her, walking up the stairs just as she had done the other day - but this time she knew that it wouldn't be a one time thing and the walk upstairs would be something she grew accustomed to.

The guest room was still the same, and Charlotte noticed that Vendetta (or her fiends) hadn't made the bed after she had left. The comforter was still thrown aside, one lone pillow on the ground. She felt bad for not cleaning up after herself.

Buttons II made himself comfortable on the bed, curling up like a little cat. Charlotte was still fairly confused on what animal the fiend was most similar to, even if she'd always seen him as a small dog. She took her backpack off and began to unpack her things - her ukelele, her school books, her favorite clothes, her phone, a blanket, and, most importantly, a photo of her family.

The photo was in a white frame decorated with blue hearts on each corner. It was taken when she was five years old - three years before she moved to Clamburg, three years before she met Vendetta, three years before her parents were killed by a drunk driver. She was in the center, her parents and grandparents on either end. It gave her a sense of nostalgia and comfort, yet it was haunting to know that everyone in the photo - except for her - was now dead. 

She sat the photo onto the end table to the side of her bed, the bright colors of the frame providing a harsh contrast to the rest of the room. 

She then grabbed her phone, turning it on for the first time since the night before. Charlotte had intentionally tried to avoid using it, not wanting to see the hundreds of texts from her friends questioning her about last night. She didn't want to deal with that right now. 

Sure enough, the messages app had a red 64 next to it. She would usually love to see that many messages - after all, there was nothing she loved more than talking to her friends - but at the moment she dreaded having to speak to any of them. What made it worse was the fact that she would be returning to school tomorrow, and her first period was with Maggie and Malachi. She couldn't just not go to school - she had a 4.0 GPA and a perfect attendance to maintain. 

At least tomorrow was a Monday - one of the only two days of the week Vendetta actually went to school, the other being Friday. She had no need to attend; she was already incredibly intelligent. The only reason she went at all was a chance to torment other students. If Vendetta actually did care about her education, she could easily be one of the top students.

Vendetta was not only a motivation for Charlotte to go to school, she was becoming Charlotte's reason to do anything. She wasn't necessarily dependent on her, but Charlotte would always look to Vendetta when she needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Her philosophy was that anything was worth doing if it meant she could see Vendetta.

Charlotte laid her head back onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

_ Gosh, I really do love her. _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY for the long wait between chapters!! school is kind of taking over my life right now and i barely have time to do anything
> 
> i've decided to start an upload schedule though! i will do my best to update every other monday, and if i don't, you are free to yell at me
> 
> things are about to get very gay soon though


End file.
